The 1st Year of Marriage

We had a wonderful first year of marriage.  Just 3 months after we were married, we found a home that we were excited to move into.  We looke at MANY MANY homes, and had trouble deciding on what was most important to us.  We wanted 3

bedrooms because Matt was intending to run his own business from home eventually, so we needed at least the 1 room for an office, and figured that with time, if a 2nd bedroom were needed for children, we'd re-address it at that point.  If we had to rent out office space, it was going to be a blessing, and we were prepared for it.



Mountain Man Rendezvous in Wyoming in May

Matt wasn't too particular on the floor plan, but I wanted a home that had a Front (formal) room and a Family room.  Additionally, I wanted a bar in the kitchen, and the bedrooms to all be close together.  We envisioned us with our little children and the pro's and con's of each floor plan. 

As we looked, we went into a home, and knew right then that THIS was our home.  It literally spoke to us, and we were VERY excited.  We made an offer, and closed with in 45 days



Our Honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico



For many many months, the home was quite empty.  As a wedding gift to ourselves, we had purchased a 32 in television, we had 2 hand-me-down couches from one of the girls I worked with, and we just put slip covers on them so they looked somewhat presentable.  In the formal front room, we had a couch hand-me-down from Matt's old roommates.  We had a bed I had bought used from one of my old roommates, and a WOBBLY table my parents had purchased at a yard sale.



Our First Christmas


Our first Christmas, we spent alone in our home in Phoenix.  Matt was so sweet and purchased me a used Piano as he recognized my love for music, and knew that there had been times in my past that I had declared that I wanted a piano above any other furniture in my home.  I LOVE my piano still to this day!

At church, I had been called to play piano for Relief Society.  This was good, as it encouraged us to stay through all 3 hours of church every Sunday.  Additionally, I was called to be on the Activities Committee.  Matt was told he could support me in THAT calling, but did not serve in any other position for some time.  That spring, I was ALSO called to lead the music in Sacrament Meeting...which again, I viewed as a blessing, as it forced me (someone who is NOTORIOUS for being LATE LATE LATE to everything) to be ON TIME to church...and it worked.

Matt was offered a "position" by one of his friends as an apprentice to be an appraiser.  Basically, this let him hang out with his buddy all day everyday. Gratefully, he was learning stuff as well. He maintained his job at Buca Di Beppo until the following spring.  I was working LONG hours at my job, and stressing because we were so busy.  Eventually, I asked him to just quit his job at the restaurant because I was NEVER seeing him.  He would work evenings and weekends...and with me working all day everyday until 7-9 depending upon the day, we just weren't seeing each other, and that wasn't working for me.

That fall, we began to make plans to go through the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity.  We couldn't wait.  This was such a wonderful time in our lives.  I wish I had kept better records of what we went through during those times as emotions and feelings seem to be lost over time, but I remember feeling SO blessed and SO supported by our family and friends.  We were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on Saturday November 27, 2004.

The Wedding





I'll be honest...our wedding was not all roses :)

Lets back up to the night before....We ended up spending the evening at the hotel with my family just chatting by the pool while my nieces and nephews went swimming....I was QUITE relieved when Matt's friends DIDN'T try to take him out for a night on the town...I wouldn't have put it past them, and even MORE so, I was grateful that he chose to spend the evening with me and my family. 

Angie's Family



The next morning, we got up and got things going.  We had a brunch at The Lion's Den and all of our families were there...aunts, uncles, besties, etc...



Matt's Family

My little brother had recently had his colon removed, and so was wearing a colostomy bag (outside of his body, but under his clothes).  I have to give it to him, he has embraced this challenge in his life and has treated it with a great sense of  humor.  Mom had given him EXPLICIT instructions to keep things under wraps and to behave.  At one point during the lunch, we hear EVERYONE at his table cracking up.  Come to find out, Nate's sitting there telling everyone not to pay any attention to "Phil" as he called it.  and that "Phil was always trying to be heard and that he was full of crap"....pretty funny to say the least as it would gurgle, and was literally full of...well you know...it WAS a colostomy bag.


Anyway, by the time the brunch was done, it was a mad dash to the church to get the chairs and everything else set up and do the finishing touches. By the time everything was set up and ready to go, I only had about 30 minutes to get myself fully ready.  No time for a shower, and barely time to wash my face and re-apply...

In the meantime,  I got word that my cake was in a near crash, and the back side of it was a little "mushed".  Fortunately, the design was such that there were ribbons draped down the backside, so no one would really notice it.  Additionally, the a/c was out in the building...and there wasn't much we could do about it...so....not only was I all hot and sweaty and not able to take a shower, but I would continue to roast as they day progressed....keep in mind...this was JULY 5th!!!



The ceremony was nice, no disasters, ring exchange went smoothly, and all was well.  We had a great mix of 50's music playing in the background (thanks to Matt...it was his pride and joy).  We didn't coordinate any kind of dance, or anything like that....we almost missed the whole "cake cutting".  Needless to say, we were NOT wedding planners, but it all came together, and the memories are great in spite of the disasters.



The Loot!



That night, we loaded ALL of our presents into my brother's car, and took everything to our hotel.  We went through most of it, and took the majority of it home with us in our suitcases (All complicated, of course, by the fact that we lived in Arizona and everything had to go home with us on an airplane).  The only 2 things I REALLY remember not making it home with on that first flight was a package of 4 coffee mugs, and a barbecue grill...other than that, it pretty much all made it.  We didn't do typical "wedding night" adventures as the day was too much...



The next morning, we got up and flew home in a hurry.  We had 1 day at home, and had to be to the airport the following day to fly out to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  In the hurry and hubub of it all, we had failed to get Matt's birth certificate from his mom, and couldn't locate his passport.  We were in trouble.  We made several frantic phone calls, and eventually found out that we could have the airport sign some kind of affidavit with a notary...which would suffice as a "passport" into and out of the United States.  Fortunately, it worked. 

We had a wonderful and relaxing vacation, got some sweet souveniers, and then came back to reality.



Awwwwwww.....Wedded Bliss :)